Objectivity is one of those traits we all like to think we have. After all, the best course of action in any given situation is to consider the facts and circumstances, and then arrive at the best possible decision. That’s easy, right? Not so much.»4/13/15 4:00am 4/13/15 4:00am

We all make assumptions, and many of them turn out to be wrong. But noticing those and learning from them is hard. Maintaining a "Surprise Journal" can make reality clearer and help you improve yourself.»9/24/14 6:30am 9/24/14 6:30am

As humans, we're pretty bad at judging our own abilities. From exercising to our sense of humor, we're all certain that we're the best at everything we do. The problem is, in a lot of cases, we're way worse at things than we think we are. That can keep us from succeeding the long term. »1/02/14 8:00am 1/02/14 8:00am

Everyone has an opinion, and everyone's willing to share it with you—especially when you ask for their advice. The key, however, is to remember that along with someone's advice comes their entire point of view: even when their perspective contradicts your own. »7/05/12 5:00am 7/05/12 5:00am

Every day, we’re confronted with claims that others present as fact. Some are easily debunked, some are clearly true, and some are particularly difficult to get to the bottom of. So how do you determine if a controversial statement is scientifically true? It can be tricky, but it’s not too difficult to get to the… »6/20/12 9:00am 6/20/12 9:00am

No matter who you are, you've likely spent some amount of time arguing online with someone you just couldn't believe was incapable of accepting the truth. That may have been because they were susceptible to something called the backfire effect, or so were you. »6/13/11 12:30pm 6/13/11 12:30pm

You're a hypocrite who thinks you're the best person who has ever lived, but you're not alone. We're all that way, and it's just fine—so long as you forgive everyone else for the shortcomings we all share. »1/20/11 10:30am 1/20/11 10:30am

You can contact Adam Dachis, the author of this post, at adachis@lifehacker.com. You can also follow him on and .